The Santa Fe City Council has decided to delay a decision on a controversial plan to rebuild a Civil War obelisk.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reported that dozens of community members opposed to having the Soldiers’ Monument reconstructed voiced their concerns for hours at a public meeting Wednesday.
The council had been set to discuss and potentially adopt the contentious plan opposed by the Santa Fe Indigenous Center and Southwestern Association for Indian Arts and other groups.
A woman walks past a historic obelisk in the Plaza in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on Nov. 21, 2018. Santa Fe has delayed a plan to rebuild the controversial Civil War obelisk which was destroyed during a 2020 Indigenous rally. The structure was built to dedicate the “heroes” who died while battling against “savage Indians.” (Robert Alexander/Getty Images)
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The Santa Fe Plaza centerpiece dates back about 155 years, but was destroyed by protesters during an Indigenous Peoples Day rally in 2020. All that remains standing is the base of the monument that is currently covered by a wooden box, according to the New Mexican.
Initially built as a tribute to Civil War Union Soldiers, an engraving dedicated the monument to the “heroes” who died in battle with “savage Indians.”
Some residents gathered outside City Hall carrying banners and signs, including one that said: “Santa Fe City Council perpetuates violence against Indigenous peoples.”
